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U of L's Ramsey tells Rotary to ignore 'noise'

University of Louisville President James Ramsey shared a laugh with Kathleen Smith before the start of a Rotary Club meeting, where Ramsey was the main speaker.(Photo: By Pat McDonogh, The CJ)Buy Photo

University of Louisville President James Ramsey defended his embattled administration Thursday, praising its accomplishments and saying some of the stories critical of it are just “noise.”

Speaking before the Rotary Club of Louisville at the Galt House, Ramsey admitted that mistakes had been made but said they were inevitable at an institution with 6,000 employees.

“We are humans and we make mistakes,” he said, adding that his wife, Jane, “reminds me of that every day.”

He said the university is committed to uncovering wrongdoing and prosecuting criminal misconduct. “We are transparent,” he said. “Don’t believe anything you’ve heard to the contrary.”

Ramsey’s speech came the week after two members of U of L’s board of trustees renounced their support of him and the board’s chairman, Larry Benz, said that while he supports Ramsey as president, his powers at the university’s foundation should be reduced.

Offering a familiar message, Ramsey told how under his leadership, the university has survived and even thrived despite state budget cuts in 14 of the past 15 years; how it graduates 1,000 more students a year than when he was appointed in 2002; and how it has boosted its number of startup companies from one to 81.

He also said U of L has produced 83 Fulbright scholars over the past 10 years, more than all other schools in Kentucky combined. When there was no response, he told the audience, “You’re supposed to cheer for that” – and they did.

Ramsey criticized The Courier-Journal, noting that its headline on a story last week about the trustee defections focused on the pair who oppose him rather than those who still back him.

He also said that while the newspaper has reported a string of embezzlements and other crimes at the university – in which employees stole, misspent or mishandled at least $7.6 million from 2008 through 2014 – six cases of theft only resulted in a net loss of $29,694, after insurance coverage.

Asked by an audience member about the status of the NCAA investigation of allegations that a university employee paid to provide dancers and prostitutes to basketball players and recruits, he said it was going “very slowly” because a pending criminal investigation has made witnesses reluctant to talk.

Ramsey thanked Rotary members for their cards, letters and other support, but said: “Don’t worry about me. Nobody is more blessed than Jim Ramsey of Fern Creek, Ky.”

He also said that his dogs -- pugs -- are glad to see him every day.

“They don’t read the paper,” he said. “They use it for other purposes.”

Reporter Andrew Wolfson can be reached at (502) 582-7189 or awolfson@courier-journal.com.